Happy Norfolk Day to our friends in the East

Ben and Tom Youngs have reached international status since joining the Tigers ranks from home in Norfolk

Will Evans played at Wymondham College as he came through the Tigers academy to reach first-team level

Holt RFC are among the Norfolk clubs who have made regular trips to Welford Road

Players from North Walsham on to the Welford Road pitch as part of a Matchday Coaching Clinic

Today marks the first official Norfolk Day, and Leicester Tigers is proud to celebrate its links with the county.

From captain Tom Youngs and brother Ben – not forgetting their dad Nick – through first-team squad members including Will Evans and George Worth who were team-mates at Wymondham College on their way through the Tigers ranks, the club has very strong bonds with Norfolk.

Friday, July 27 is Norfolk Day, celebrating the people, the culture and the attractions of the region.

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Tigers’ Developing Player Programme in Norfolk is run by Tim Malone and plays a key part in recruiting young players for the club’s future, with Harry Simmons and Harry Mahoney two of the most recent graduates. Simmons followed in the footsteps of the Youngs brothers at Gresham’s School, while Mahoney attended Langley School before embarking on a career in professional rugby.

Thom Smith, another former Langley School pupil from Norwich, has moved up to the Tigers development squad this season after playing his part in the club’s Under-18 League title win last year and a significant number of players from across the county are in the club’s academy ranks at under-17 and under-18 level.

Tigers Rugby Camps, with centres at Swaffham RFC, Langley School and Diss RFC this summer, allow young players in Norfolk to learn from the professionals and develop their individual and team skills, with Simmons and Mahoney due to make a return trip to home ground to meet the youngsters on what could even be the first step on the road into a career in the game.

Norfolk clubs are big supporters of Tigers events including Matchday Coaching Clinics at Welford Road and the Prima Tiger Cup for under-10s teams which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2-018/19. Diss RFC hosted a regional festival in the Prima Tiger Cup last season and Wymondham, Holt, Swaffham and North Walsham are also among the regular visitors to the home of the Tigers during the tournament.

Langley School were among the lucky ones in 2017/18 who had their Coaching Clinic on the Tigers pitch at Welford Road, following in the bootmarks of some of the game’s biggest names.

To all of our friends in the region, we wish you a happy Norfolk Day and look forward to seeing you again soon!

Look out on the club’s social media channels for best wishes from Will Evans and Harry Simmons!

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